In this episode of Hidden Histories of the Scottish Borders, we explore Castlehill Tower, which sits about 5 kilometres south west of Peebles.

Overlooking Manor Water, this ruined fifteenth-century tower house reveals a story of Border Reivers, beacon warnings and Covenanter connections. Discover the families who owned it, its formidable defences, and the unanswered questions surrounding its eventual abandonment.

Music credits: All music from https://pixabay.com

Hidden among the fields near Chirnside in the Scottish Borders, the ruins of Billie Castle conceal a fascinating history of medieval power struggles, English invasions and powerful Scottish families. In this episode of Hidden Histories of the Scottish Borders, we explore the castle's connections to the Dunbars, the Douglas Earls of Angus and the Rentons of Billie, including its role as a refuge for Archibald Douglas during his conflict with King James V in 1528.

Discover how Billie Castle suffered during the devastating Rough Wooing of the 1540s, why King James VI visited in 1596, and how the Renton family's marriage alliances connected this little-known Berwickshire stronghold to Alexander Leslie, Earl of Leven, a leading commander of the Scottish Covenanters. From medieval Border warfare to the religious upheavals of seventeenth-century Scotland, uncover the remarkable stories behind one of the Scottish Borders' forgotten castles.

Music credits

Omega | The Rise | Ascension | Falling Together | Bring Me The Sky

All tracks by Scott Buckley

https://soundcloud.com/scottbuckley

Royalty Free Music by https://www.free-stock-music.com

Creative Commons / Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Podcast theme from Pixabay.com

In this episode of Hidden Histories of the Scottish Borders, we explore the dramatic story of Ferniehirst Castle, one of the best-preserved Border fortresses in Scotland. Standing above the River Jed near Jedburgh, this remarkable stronghold was home to the powerful Kerr family for more than five centuries and witnessed raids, sieges, family feuds, royal intrigue and some of the fiercest fighting of the Anglo-Scottish Border wars.

Discover the legend of Dand Kerr, the famous left-handed staircase, the brutal violence of the Rough Wooing, the Battle of Ancrum Moor, and the castle's role in the struggles surrounding Mary, Queen of Scots. From Border Reivers to royal courtiers, the story of Ferniehirst reveals how one family survived the turbulent history of the Scottish Borders and left behind a castle whose stones still echo with the conflicts of the past.

Music credits

Peace by Jeremusic70 https://pixabay.com

The Ocean by Savfk https://www.youtube.com/savfkmusic

The Impossible by Savfk https://www.youtube.com/savfkmusic

Adrift Among Infinite Stars by Scott Buckley https://soundcloud.com/scottbuckley

Undertow by Scott Buckley https://soundcloud.com/scottbuckley

I Walk With Ghosts by Scott Buckley https://soundcloud.com/scottbuckley

Royalty Free Music by https://www.free-stock-music.com

Creative Commons / Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/